From Gaia
by Zandrellia
Summary: Life and death bring a lesson about hope to one youkai lord.


Obligatory Disclaimer: I clearly do not own any of the characters within (even those who may or may not be originals), any of the settings, concepts, or other potentially copy-written works within this piece. I am merely a vessel; A messenger who conveys a story, nothing more, nothing less.

* * *

Kagome let out a slow breath as she stood, bringing up the bowl full of water she had in her hands. As she righted herself, she tried to ignore the cracking sound of her back. Lifting her face to the sky, she closed her eyes and smiled as the sun seeped into her flesh, warming her and temporarily lifting away all her sorrows and pain.

The momentary reprieve was broken by a small girl tugging at her sleeve. Kagome blinked and looked down, holding the bowl in her fingers steady as she grinned at the child. "Yes, Fumiko, what is it?" The girl shook her head, eyes wide as she pointed to the hut that Kagome called home.

Her heart skipped a beat as she rushed towards the building, pushing past the cloth doorway to see a young woman kneeling at his side. It was Sango and Miroku's daughter, Yua – Fumiko's mother – she looked up at Kagome with wide eyes and tears streaming down her face as she shook her head. "He's gone."

The bowl slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground with a hollow clatter, rolling on its edge as it splattered water in a circular motion around Kagome. As the liquid seeped into the dirt floor beneath her feet, her lip quivered and she took a single step forward before shaking her head and kneeling next to him herself. Had she been a younger woman, she might have sobbed and cried out for him, demanding that he return to her. This was wholly unfair; after all, she had given up her entire family, her continued educations, even her era and all the modern comforts that came with it – all to be with him. Still, as she reached down to feel for his pulse at his neck, she gave a slow sigh of relief.

He had been suffering greatly these past few months. As she slid her hand down his face, closing his eyes for the last time, she looked up at Yua with a strained smile. "Thank you; be sure to wash thoroughly before you return home. I'll take care of the body in the usual manner."

This seemed to concern the young woman and she shook her head. "By yourself?"

Kagome nodded. "It is my responsibility." Yua knew better than to argue with that tone and set off to leave, assuring she did not touch Fumiko, who stood just outside, as she made her way to the stream in order to wash herself as she had been instructed. Kagome sat there in silence, staring down at InuYasha's corpse before letting out a heavy sigh. None of it made sense!

She wasn't sure why the outbreak had occurred. Since her return, she had been diligent in teaching the villagers about sanitation methods, trying to reduce the illnesses that she was sure would plague them if they continued living as they were. They did seem to have greater longevity, at least the children did – those that lived. Her eyes closed tightly as she tried not to imagine the poor toddlers and young children who had suffered so greatly these past few months. Only a few had lived, Fumiko and one other child were the only ones to never display symptoms and it was assumed they were possibly too old.

Then Kaede, the one who had been seeing to the outbreak, fell to the illness herself. A few of the men and women who helped Kaede also began to succumb to the epidemic. When Kaede died, Kagome took over the care of the sick with InuYasha at her side. Because they were fairly certain that this spread from person to person, Kagome ordered all bodies to be burned instead of buried. Kaede was the first, her ashes spread beneath an honorary mound just outside the village.

Kagome hoped that InuYasha would be the last. It was terrible watching these people – people she loved so dearly – suffer so much only to cling to the hope that they might live. Most became paralyzed and eventually the paralysis spread to their lungs where they would suffocate to death. Some would only be partially paralyzed, but would get other illnesses and choke on their own bodily fluids. A few of the youngest had died from brain hemorrhaging. Very few who became ill survived. Those who did were often permanently paralyzed in some way, making Kagome not only have to treat the ill but also rehabilitate the survivors.

It had soon become clear to Kagome that she could not contract the illness. The villagers claimed she was blessed by the gods and treated her as if she were some sort of good luck charm that might save them all. She wasn't sure how they expected her to do that – she could not save everyone. Heck, she hadn't even saved herself! Future medicine saved her and nothing else, she was sure. She had been vaccinated as a child and likely had been inoculated against whatever plagued the village.

For a few years she felt bitter about it all. InuYasha was paralyzed and an invalid, requiring her near constant help with most of his daily tasks. Quickly, they went from a young and vibrant couple to healer and patient. While he did not age visibly, he did lose a lot of his luster for life. Kagome, on the other hand, aged rapidly. Her once dark hair was now peppered with gray, her wide eyes lowered slightly, and her skin wrinkled to show her experiences – many laugh lines, several brow furrows. It was all so unfair. They were supposed to grow old together and have a family.

None of that ever had the chance to start.

As she loaded InuYasha's corpse onto the little gurney she had created, she dragged it behind her out into the forest and set him in a wide clearing on a mound of dirt, not far from the grand tree he had been pinned to in his youth. She left him there for a short while, only to return minutes later with a torch. The sun began to fade down into the horizon, covering his face with orange hues as she stared at him for the final time.

Her voice hitched in her throat, but she did not cry. Instead, she stepped forward and laid the fire beside him before stepping back and bowing low. "Goodbye, InuYasha." Was all she could bring herself to say as she began to pray.

The fire caught and began to burn through his body. He did not wear his usual fire-rat robes, those having been shed for a single linen yukata when his illness progressed to the point of nearly complete paralysis. Absently, she wondered what she should do with them, but decided now was not the time to focus on such things. She had to pray for him and his soul to find peace, to rejoin with spirits lost and eventually be reborn again in a better life than this.

Kagome knew that everything she knew of religion and life had been questioned when she was able to travel through time, even worse when she heard of and met the woman who she was reincarnated from. She had learned that life was not a singular event, and that souls lived on. It made these types of moments much easier to handle. She was sorry to see anyone go, of course, but did not feel so sorry that she wept anymore – knowing they would see one another again.

When she rose from another bow, her eyes widened and she let out a small gasp. There, on the other side of the funeral pyre, stood the last soul she expected to see. "Sesshomaru..." Her breathless voice trailed off as they stared at one another over the fire. The brothers had never really reconciled their differences so Kagome hadn't thought he might come to see InuYasha off.

The youkai lord's amber gaze flickered in the firelight as he stared down on the burning corpse of his half-brother. "He leaves this world much like our father."  
She gave a nod. There was not much to say to that and so they both stood there, watching the embers float into the depths of the night sky as the fire burned. Silence reigned the night – neither moving until the final breath of life in the fire died away, leaving nothing but a pile of white ashes. He watched her as she swept the ashes into a small bowl, a wistful smile coming to her face as she noticed one of the white teeth of the subjugation necklace – scorched but not burned to dust. Instead of clinging to it, as he expected her to, she dropped it amid the ashes and continued to gather them together.

Kagome took the bowl and went over to the large tree where her friend and lover had once been pinned, holding it up and closing her eyes as a heavy breeze came and carried the remains away on the wind. Turning, she was surprised to see Sesshomaru still watching her. "I suppose you're waiting for what is yours?"

He said nothing, unsure what she meant, but followed her nonetheless as she returned to the village with slow and careful steps. As she entered a small home he waited for her to return only for his eyes to widen when she came with the last thing he had ever expected to receive. Her smile turned melancholy for a few seconds as her fingers gripped the scabbard before she held it out to him with calloused fingers. Tetsuiaga – his father's fang, his brother's fang, and the one thing which bound them together... she was giving it to him? "You would part with it?"

The deep blue depths of her eyes twinkled with wisdom well beyond her years and she did nothing but continue to hold the sword out for him with that eerie smile on her face. "It is simply a sword. It is not InuYasha. I have no use for this. Please, he would have wanted you to keep it. I can think of no other better suited for this than you."

Sesshomaru took the sword, only to be doubly shocked when she also held out the fire-rat robes. Silently, he took the rough material from her with a crease in his brow. He did not understand how she could give up these things so easily. Did she keep nothing of InuYasha? Had he misinterpreted their relationship somehow?  
Kagome did not explain. Sesshomaru did not ask.

Days would turn into months, and he would watch as the once vibrant young woman aged quickly, yet seemed to not suffer and die for it like the other villagers. She performed her duty with respect and honor, and cared for Rin as if she were her own when he was away. It was through this that they would come to speak again one autumn afternoon a year or so after his brother's death – when Rin informed him that she wished to marry a local young man.

It had been an unexpected blow. He did not anticipate feeling the sudden and nearly debilitating sense of loss at Rin's announcement. Sesshomaru attempted to do what he always did when faced with the concept of losing someone he felt attached to, trying to distance himself and brush it under the proverbial rug. It was how he coped with the death of his father and how he managed the realization that he had lost his one and only sibling, but it was failing him now. This was not death. Rin was still present, still smiling at him stupidly and every time he turned around he saw her there at his knee – tiny and fragile and once more a child who needed him so desperately. She was still here, but none of those things anymore. Now she was a confident woman who did not rely on him for her happiness.

How did one deal with such emotional complications? He had no idea. His mother had always been rather distant and therefore a poor example, his father had died when Sesshomaru was far too young to fully grasp his lessons on life and love – who could he ask? Jaken? The very idea was laughable. There was only one he had ever known to handle loss so artfully. He could ask her, right?

Sesshomaru found her standing beneath a dying maple, the red and orange leaves fluttering about as the cold winds began to blow from the north. She turned to him, abandoning her task of weaving a basket, to give him a bow of recognition and a faint smile. "Good afternoon, Lord Sesshomaru. What can I do for you?"

Kagome was surprised at his questions and even more alarmed at how very lost and child-like he seemed in that moment. When he curiously asked how she coped with loss, as if she knew all the answers in the world, she let out a slow breath and hoped she could answer correctly. She explained how she was not from this time, that she had chosen to stay here with InuYasha because of her love for him and her loyalty to her friends. Sesshomaru seemed to appreciate that. She told him how she had left behind her family and other friends in order to be here. "I can never see them again."

That sentence held so much weight to it and she let out a slow sigh, smiling at him despite her sudden sorrow. "It doesn't make me as sad as you might think, though." Her gaze left him, traveling over the horizon as she watched the blue sky overhead. "We always can meet again. In another life."

His eyes widened. "In another life?"

She nodded. "Surely you know that I am the reincarnated soul of Kikyo, so we know that reincarnation is true – that neither of us can deny. Still, I also find it very telling that my soul was reborn only to find its way back to InuYasha's. All I can surmise is that souls are somehow linked together once they form a bond and will forever find each other again."

Sesshomaru said nothing, but thought over what she said. Essentially, she was saying that no matter how many times he would lose Rin he would never truly lose her again. She would always be following him obediently, now and forever. Part of him was content with that answer and so he let the conversation die where it was, leaving the woman to her task as he went to meet this young man that Rin chose.

The seasons continued on in their endless dance, the leaves all died and snow covered the hills some years later as he stood outside the village and listened with intent as Rin screamed in pain. He felt anxious and knew there was nothing he could do for her as she continued to suffer. She had already birthed one child before, but this was proving to be a difficult labor and had already lasted twice as long as the previous one. Slowly, Sesshomaru listened as her cries began to lose intensity and he stilled, feeling as if every muscle in his body was ready to move at once and quizzically as if they were equally heavy. He could feel it, feel as her soul faded and diminished.

Many humans sobbed from within the building which now housed Rin's corpse and he knew then that she was gone. Forever. His eyes did not leave the hut as he watched various humans come and go, all crying and remorseful as the last. Then, as if on some sort of signal from fate, Kagome came from beyond the cloth flap and paused to stare directly into his eyes. Or maybe into his soul, he wasn't sure which anymore.

Kagome went to him, a faint smile on her face as she stood before him. "She is in pain no more." Sesshomaru gave a mechanical nod. "You loved her very much." Again, he could do nothing more but nod – it was no longer even within him to argue such a claim. Kagome's smile brightened and the wrinkles around her eyes deepened.

"You will meet her again."

Finally, his gaze fixated on her and not on the home that housed the death of his one and only beloved companion. Rage built in him. Was the woman mocking his loss? Was she truly that crazy? Despite the growing growl that rumbled from his chest, or the snarling look on his face, Kagome did not change her expression. For a few moments, they merely stood there, and he realized that she seemed to have a greater grasp on this challenge than he did – and he did not appreciate being less than a human.

As if she knew what he was thinking, Kagome explained again how all souls are connected. She told him how even the very planet had a soul and that it guided us through our lives. How she believed that was what led her to be here, that this was her true place and not several hundred years in the future when she was born. A large part of him thought she was simply insane, but a small part of him grasped to the idea that she may just be right.

With that, he left her there – having no reason to stay. Months would go by and he would return only when he was passing through the area. He couldn't help but notice how age hit her particularly hard that following spring. The moon would cycle twice before he found himself being called down by a young girl. Brow furrowing, Sesshomaru considered ignoring the child only to pause at her plea.

"Lady Kagome begs you to come to her, Lord Sesshomaru!"

She called him? She never called him. He had always sought her. Curiosity got the better of him and he followed the child to Kagome's home before entering without even knocking. The sight before him sent a chill down his spine. She was bundled within her bedding and looked for the world both very young and extremely old in that moment. A smile darted across her face as she looked up at him. "You came. Thank you."

He did not acknowledge the thanks, but went to sit beside her regardless. She didn't seem to mind that he was being somewhat rude, almost expecting it, and continued to speak. He really wished she wouldn't, it seemed to be a monumental task for her and took her ages just to get one or two words out. "I am sorry, Sesshomaru."

That got his attention and he looked at her with wide amber eyes, unsure what she should possibly be apologetic about. She owed him nothing and he, despite his presence here, owed her even less. Kagome, as if knowing he would say nothing, still prattled on. "I cannot be with you to tell you this later, so I will tell you what you will want to hear now. I hope you can forgive an old woman her presumptions."

A heavy cough came from her and she groaned a little before speaking once more, this time with a slightly younger tone to her voice. "From creation, the planet we live on was full of life. Like a mother, it gives a home and guides those which are born to it. In my time we have a name for this. Some call it simply "Mother Earth" - the name for our planet – but there is an even older name than that." Her blue eyes sparkled as if she were about to reveal a great mystery of life to him, and he, despite his better judgment, leaned in with interest.

"Gaia. They call her Gaia." Her eyes closed as she took a slow breath. "Some believe that when we die we go to a resting place for souls based on our behavior in life. This is often called heaven or hell – but I have a hard time holding on to such beliefs knowing that I am reincarnated from Kikyo. The only theory that is both plausible and makes me feel content is the idea that souls return to Gaia and are reborn, but are able to maintain the bonds they have made in their previous lives."

Sesshomaru felt slightly irritated at her constant repetitive nature at telling him all of this, but still listened. Kagome looked at him, suddenly aging decades before him as she reached up as if to touch his face, only for her fingers to linger and never fully cross the distance. "I'm sorry, Sesshomaru."

There she went apologizing again. It really was quite infuriating by now. Her final words killed any idea of anger or frustration, however. As she said them, he could sense her slipping away and watched as she took her final breaths.

"We will meet again."

He sat for some time, simply staring down on her, only to stand and leave her corpse for the human villagers to deal with. It would have been possible for him to revive her and prove her theory wrong then and there, to show her that he could defy death, but it would be a short-lived victory as she would surely die again. Instead, as he continued on with his life he reconsidered her words and for once in his long existence he held something he had never considered possible before... hope.

~*FIN*~

* * *

_For a loyal friend of my friend, to whom I am loyal – who has recently returned to Gaia._  
_ Until next time..._

Kagome let out a slow breath as she stood, bringing up the bowl full of water she had in her hands. As she righted herself, she tried to ignore the cracking sound of her back. Lifting her face to the sky, she closed her eyes and smiled as the sun seeped into her flesh, warming her and temporarily lifting away all her sorrows and pain.

The momentary reprieve was broken by a small girl tugging at her sleeve. Kagome blinked and looked down, holding the bowl in her fingers steady as she grinned at the child. "Yes, Fumiko, what is it?" The girl shook her head, eyes wide as she pointed to the hut that Kagome called home.

Her heart skipped a beat as she rushed towards the building, pushing past the cloth doorway to see a young woman kneeling at his side. It was Sango and Miroku's daughter, Yua – Fumiko's mother – she looked up at Kagome with wide eyes and tears streaming down her face as she shook her head. "He's gone."

The bowl slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground with a hollow clatter, rolling on its edge as it splattered water in a circular motion around Kagome. As the liquid seeped into the dirt floor beneath her feet, her lip quivered and she took a single step forward before shaking her head and kneeling next to him herself. Had she been a younger woman, she might have sobbed and cried out for him, demanding that he return to her. This was wholly unfair; after all, she had given up her entire family, her continued education, even her era and all the modern comforts that came with it – all to be with him. Still, as she reached down to feel for his pulse at his neck, she gave a slow sigh of relief.

He had been suffering greatly these past few months. As she slid her hand down his face, closing his eyes for the last time, she looked up at Yua with a strained smile. "Thank you; be sure to wash thoroughly before you return home. I'll take care of the body in the usual manner."

This seemed to concern the young woman and she shook her head. "By yourself?"

Kagome nodded. "It is my responsibility." Yua knew better than to argue with that tone and set off to leave, assuring she did not touch Fumiko, who stood just outside, as she made her way to the stream in order to wash herself as she had been instructed. Kagome sat there in silence, staring down at InuYasha's corpse before letting out a heavy sigh. None of it made sense!

She wasn't sure _why_ the outbreak had occurred. Since her return, she had been diligent in teaching the villagers about sanitation methods, trying to reduce the illnesses that she was sure would plague them if they continued living as they were. They did seem to have greater longevity, at least the children did – those that lived. Her eyes closed tightly as she tried not to imagine the poor toddlers and young children who had suffered so greatly these past few months. Only a few had lived, Fumiko and one other child were the only ones to never display symptoms and it was assumed they were possibly too old.

Then Kaede, the one who had been seeing to the outbreak, fell to the illness herself. A few of the men and women who helped Kaede also began to succumb to the epidemic. When Kaede died, Kagome took over the care of the sick with InuYasha at her side. Because they were fairly certain that this spread from person to person, Kagome ordered all bodies to be burned instead of buried. Kaede was the first, her ashes spread beneath an honorary mound just outside the village.

Kagome hoped that InuYasha would be the last. It was terrible watching these people – people she loved so dearly – suffer so much only to cling to the hope that they might live. Most became paralyzed and eventually the paralysis spread to their lungs where they would suffocate to death. Some would only be partially paralyzed, but would get other illnesses and choke on their own bodily fluids. A few of the youngest had died from brain hemorrhaging. Very few who became ill survived. Those who did were often permanently paralyzed in some way, making Kagome not only have to treat the ill but also rehabilitate the survivors.

It had soon become clear to Kagome that she could not contract the illness. The villagers claimed she was blessed by the gods and treated her as if she were some sort of good luck charm that might save them all. She wasn't sure how they expected her to do that – she could not save everyone. Heck, she hadn't even saved herself! Future medicine saved her and nothing else, she was sure. She had been vaccinated as a child and likely had been inoculated against whatever plagued the village.

For a few years she felt bitter about it all. InuYasha was paralyzed and an invalid, requiring her near constant help with most of his daily tasks. Quickly, they went from a young and vibrant couple to healer and patient. While he did not age visibly, he did lose a lot of his luster for life. Kagome, on the other hand, aged rapidly. Her once dark hair was now peppered with gray, her wide eyes lowered slightly, and her skin wrinkled to show her experiences – many laugh lines, several brow furrows. It was all so unfair. They were supposed to grow old together and have a family.

None of that ever had the chance to start.

As she loaded InuYasha's corpse onto the little gurney she had created, she dragged it behind her out into the forest and set him in a wide clearing on a mound of dirt, not far from the grand tree he had been pinned to in his youth. She left him there for a short while, only to return minutes later with a torch. The sun began to fade down into the horizon, covering his face with orange hues as she stared at him for the final time.

Her voice hitched in her throat, but she did not cry. Instead, she stepped forward and laid the fire beside him before stepping back and bowing low. "Goodbye, InuYasha." Was all she could bring herself to say as she began to pray.

The fire caught and began to burn through his body. He did not wear his usual fire-rat robes, those having been shed for a single linen yukata when his illness progressed to the point of nearly complete paralysis. Absently, she wondered what she should do with them, but decided now was not the time to focus on such things. She had to pray for him and his soul to find peace, to rejoin with spirits lost and eventually be reborn again in a better life than this.

Kagome knew that everything she knew of religion and life had been questioned when she was able to travel through time, even worse when she heard of and met the woman who she was reincarnated from. She had learned that life was not a singular event, and that souls lived on. It made these types of moments much easier to handle. She was sorry to see anyone go, of course, but did not feel so sorry that she wept anymore – knowing they would see one another again.

When she rose from another bow, her eyes widened and she let out a small gasp. There, on the other side of the funeral pyre, stood the last soul she expected to see. "Sesshomaru..." Her breathless voice trailed off as they stared at one another over the fire. The brothers had never really reconciled their differences so Kagome hadn't thought he might come to see InuYasha off.

The youkai lord's amber gaze flickered in the firelight as he stared down on the burning corpse of his half-brother. "He leaves this world much like our father."

She gave a nod. There was not much to say to that and so they both stood there, watching the embers float into the depths of the night sky as the fire burned. Silence reigned the night – neither moving until the final breath of life in the fire died away, leaving nothing but a pile of white ashes. He watched her as she swept the ashes into a small bowl, a wistful smile coming to her face as she noticed one of the white teeth of the subjugation necklace – scorched but not burned to dust. Instead of clinging to it, as he expected her to, she dropped it amid the ashes and continued to gather them together.

Kagome took the bowl and went over to the large tree where her friend and lover had once been pinned, holding it up and closing her eyes as a heavy breeze came and carried the remains away on the wind. Turning, she was surprised to see Sesshomaru still watching her. "I suppose you're waiting for what is yours?"

He said nothing, unsure what she meant, but followed her nonetheless as she returned to the village with slow and careful steps. As she entered a small home he waited for her to return only for his eyes to widen when she came with the last thing he had ever expected to receive. Her smile turned melancholy for a few seconds as her fingers gripped the scabbard before she held it out to him with calloused fingers. Tetsuiaga – his father's fang, his brother's fang, and the one thing which bound them together... she was giving it to him? "You would part with it?"

The deep blue depths of her eyes twinkled with wisdom well beyond her years and she did nothing but continue to hold the sword out for him with that eerie smile on her face. "It is simply a sword. It is not InuYasha. I have no use for this. Please, he would have wanted you to keep it. I can think of no other better suited for this than you."

Sesshomaru took the sword, only to be doubly shocked when she also held out the fire-rat robes. Silently, he took the rough material from her with a crease in his brow. He did not understand how she could give up these things so easily. Did she keep nothing of InuYasha? Had he misinterpreted their relationship somehow?

Kagome did not explain. Sesshomaru did not ask.

Days would turn into months, and he would watch as the once vibrant young woman aged quickly, yet seemed to not suffer and die for it like the other villagers. She performed her duty with respect and honor, and cared for Rin as if she were her own when he was away. It was through this that they would come to speak again one autumn afternoon a year or so after his brother's death – when Rin informed him that she wished to marry a local young man.

It had been an unexpected blow. He did not anticipate feeling the sudden and nearly debilitating sense of loss at Rin's announcement. Sesshomaru attempted to do what he always did when faced with the concept of losing someone he felt attached to, trying to distance himself and brush it under the proverbial rug. It was how he coped with the death of his father and how he managed the realization that he had lost his one and only sibling, but it was failing him now. This was not death. Rin was still present, still smiling at him stupidly and every time he turned around he saw her there at his knee – tiny and fragile and once more a child who needed him so desperately. She was still here, but none of those things anymore. Now she was a confident woman who did not rely on him for her happiness.

How did one deal with such emotional complications? He had no idea. His mother had always been rather distant and therefore a poor example, his father had died when Sesshomaru was far too young to fully grasp his lessons on life and love – who could he ask? Jaken? The very idea was laughable. There was only one he had ever known to handle loss so artfully. He could ask her, right?

Sesshomaru found her standing beneath a dying maple, the red and orange leaves fluttering about as the cold winds began to blow from the north. She turned to him, abandoning her task of weaving a basket, to give him a bow of recognition and a faint smile. "Good afternoon, Lord Sesshomaru. What can I do for you?"

Kagome was surprised at his questions and even more alarmed at how very lost and child-like he seemed in that moment. When he curiously asked how she coped with loss, as if she knew all the answers in the world, she let out a slow breath and hoped she could answer correctly. She explained how she was not from this time, that she had chosen to stay here with InuYasha because of her love for him and her loyalty to her friends. Sesshomaru seemed to appreciate that. She told him how she had left behind her family and other friends in order to be here. "I can never see them again."

That sentence held so much weight to it and she let out a slow sigh, smiling at him despite her sudden sorrow. "It doesn't make me as sad as you might think, though." Her gaze left him, traveling over the horizon as she watched the blue sky overhead. "We can always meet again. In another life."

His eyes widened. "In another life?"

She nodded. "Surely you know that I am the reincarnated soul of Kikyo, so we know that reincarnation is true – that neither of us can deny. Still, I also find it very telling that my soul was reborn only to find its way back to InuYasha's. All I can surmise is that souls are somehow linked together once they form a bond and will forever find each other again."

Sesshomaru said nothing, but thought over what she said. Essentially, she was saying that no matter how many times he would lose Rin he would never truly lose her again. She would always be following him obediently, now and forever. Part of him was content with that answer and so he let the conversation die where it was, leaving the woman to her task as he went to meet this young man that Rin chose.

The seasons continued on in their endless dance, the leaves all died and snow covered the hills some years later as he stood outside the village and listened with intent as Rin screamed in pain. He felt anxious and knew there was nothing he could do for her as she continued to suffer. She had already birthed one child before, but this was proving to be a difficult labor and had already lasted twice as long as the previous one. Slowly, Sesshomaru listened as her cries began to lose intensity and he stilled, feeling as if every muscle in his body was ready to move at once and quizzically as if they were equally heavy. He could feel it, sense it as her soul faded and diminished.

Many humans sobbed from within the building which now housed Rin's corpse and he knew then that she was gone. Forever. His eyes did not leave the hut as he watched various humans come and go, all crying and remorseful as the last. Then, as if on some sort of signal from fate, Kagome came from beyond the cloth flap and paused to stare directly into his eyes. Or maybe into his soul, he wasn't sure which anymore.

Kagome went to him, a faint smile on her face as she stood before him. "She is in pain no more." Sesshomaru gave a mechanical nod. "You loved her very much." Again, he could do nothing more but nod – it was no longer even within him to argue such a claim. Kagome's smile brightened and the wrinkles around her eyes deepened. "You will meet her again."

Finally, his gaze fixated on her and not on the home that housed the death of his one and only beloved companion. Rage built in him. Was the woman mocking his loss? Was she truly that crazy? Despite the growing growl that rumbled from his chest, or the snarling look on his face, Kagome did not change her expression. For a few moments, they merely stood there, and he realized that she seemed to have a greater grasp on this challenge than he did – and he did not appreciate being less than a human.

As if she knew what he was thinking, Kagome explained again how all souls are connected. She told him how even the very planet had a soul and that it guided everyone through their lives. How she believed that was what led her to be here, that this was her true place and not several hundred years in the future when she was born. A large part of him thought she was simply insane, but a small part of him grasped to the idea that she may just be right.

With that, he left her there – having no reason to stay. Months would go by and he would return only when he was passing through the area. He couldn't help but notice how age hit her particularly hard that following spring. The moon would cycle twice before he found himself being called down by a young girl. Brow furrowing, Sesshomaru considered ignoring the child only to pause at her plea.

"Lady Kagome begs you to come to her, Lord Sesshomaru!"

She called him? She never called him. He had always sought her. Curiosity got the better of him and he followed the child to Kagome's home before entering without even knocking. The sight before him sent a chill down his spine. She was bundled within her bedding and looked for the world both very young and extremely old in that moment. A smile darted across her face as she looked up at him. "You came. Thank you."

He did not acknowledge the thanks, but went to sit beside her regardless. She didn't seem to mind that he was being somewhat rude, almost expecting it, and continued to speak. He really wished she wouldn't, it seemed to be a monumental task for her and took her ages just to get one or two words out. "I am sorry, Sesshomaru."

That got his attention and he looked at her with wide amber eyes, unsure what she should possibly be apologetic about. She owed him nothing and he, despite his presence here, owed her even less. Kagome, as if knowing he would stay silent, still prattled on. "I cannot be with you to tell you this later, so I will tell you what you will want to hear now. I hope you can forgive an old woman her presumptions."

A heavy cough came from her and she groaned a little before speaking once more, this time with a slightly younger tone to her voice. "From creation, the planet we live on was full of life. Like a mother, it gives a home and guides those which are born to it. In my time we have a name for this. Some call it simply "Mother Earth" - the name for our planet – but there is an even older name than that." Her blue eyes sparkled as if she were about to reveal a great mystery of life to him, and he, despite his better judgment, leaned in with interest.

"Gaia. They call her Gaia." Her eyes closed as she took a slow breath. "Some believe that when we die we go to a resting place for souls based on our behavior in life. This is often called heaven or hell – but I have a hard time holding on to such beliefs knowing that I am reincarnated from Kikyo. The only theory that is both plausible and makes me feel content is the idea that souls return to Gaia and are reborn, but are able to maintain the bonds they have made in their previous lives."

Sesshomaru felt slightly irritated at her constant repetitive nature in telling him all of this, but still listened. Kagome looked at him, suddenly aging decades before him as she reached up as if to touch his face, only for her fingers to linger and never fully cross the distance. "I'm sorry, Sesshomaru."

There she went apologizing again. It really was quite infuriating by now. Her final words killed any idea of anger or frustration, however. As she said them, he could sense her slipping away and watched as she took her final breaths.

"We will meet again."

He sat for some time, simply staring down on her, only to stand and leave her corpse for the human villagers to deal with. It would have been possible for him to revive her and prove her theory wrong then and there, to show her that he could defy death, but it would be a short-lived victory as she would surely die again. Instead, as he continued on with his life he reconsidered her words and for once in his long existence he held something he had never considered possible before... hope.

**FIN**


End file.
